Richard E. Grant Archives - The Perfume Society

Richard E. Grant explores the world of Süskind’s Perfume novel in episode 2 of his new BBC series, Write Around the World, and we think you’ll be captivated by his so-evocative scent journey…

‘I’ve been led by nose all my life,’ says Richard. ‘When I was 12 years old I tried to make a perfume with gardenia and rose petals – to impress a girl I was madly in love with, called Betty Clapp. It took me 56 years to create my own professional perfume brand here in Grasse.’ He’s there for part of his wonderful new BBC series, Write Around the World, traversing those places that have inspired iconic writers through history – Grasse being the perfume capital of the world and the setting for one of Richard’s favourite books: ‘Patrick Süskind’s Perfume novel… the best description of scent I’ve ever come across, and reading it is almost a physical experience.’

The BBC say: ‘Book and travel lover Richard E Grant journeys to southern France, visiting the Cévennes mountains, Marseille, Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera and Grasse in the hills north of Cannes, in the footsteps of writers inspired by the country, its culture and history.

Reading key passages from their books as he goes along, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexandre Dumas, F Scott Fitzgerald, Elizabeth David and Patrick Süskind, Richard not only learns about the lives of these great authors, but also experiences many of the places immortalised in the literary classics they created.’

Richard’s own fragrant journey led him to the brilliant perfumer Alienor Massenet. She garlanded his original idea (and favourite flower) of gardenia with marijuana (a nod to his film, Withnail and I), mandarin, vetiver and a plethora of spices, with a sophisticated, cologne-like zing of lime up top, capturing all Richard’s favourite smells in an intensely personal ‘signature’ scent. That fragrance is now immortalised as Jack – the first of the synonymous collection, and a scent which succeeded in winning the Fragrance Foundation Award for Best Independent Fragrance in 2015.

In the episode Richard wanders through Grasse with obvious delight, his nose veritably twitching as he sees (and smells) the places described in the novel, even having a fragrance created for him at the historic house of Galimard, which he names for Grenouille, the novel’s protagonist. Little wonder, given his scent obsession, that Richard went on to add three other fragrances to his collection, which you can explore in our page dedicated to the house of Jack.

‘Our sense of smell is the shortest synaptic leap in the brain to our memory,’ says Richard, ‘and every one of these ingredients is like a sensory trigger. I’ve aspired to create a fragrance that is as lickably moreish as it’s addictive.’

For a fragrantly inspiring journey of your own, we suggest watching the episode, reading Patrick Süskind’s Perfume (if you’ve not already, you’re in for a treat!), and then truly indulging your sense of smell by exploring the full range of Jack fragrances…

By Suzy Nightingale

The Fragrance Foundation have made a FREE and fun way to spruce up home learning with some truly engaging (and smelly!) activities for children to enjoy while home learning.

Parents who are suddenly having to home-school kids while juggling work commitments amidst all this strangeness during #coronalockdown, we feel you. Here’s something that will get your children involved with their sense of smell, in a free to download home learning workshop session, guided by none other than Richard E. Grant! (So an extra boon for parents, there, too…)

‘Marty the Mighty Nose is a free resource for everyone offering easy and inspiring ideas for using the sense of smell to bring learning to life. The project is fronted by Marty, the faraway leader of a tribe of smell-loving characters who love nothing better than to hunt out interesting whiffs.‘

If you click on the link, above, you’ll be taken to the website where you can download all the assets you’ll need for the smell-themed session.

The Fragrance Foundation say:

‘Whether it is inviting children to develop their use of simile and metaphor in English by writing smell-inspired poems or learning about history through the stinky aromas of the past (Ancient Egyptian Mummification anyone?), structured activities incorporating fragrance and smell can truly support and inspire pupils of all abilities.

At Key Stage 2 of the primary National Curriculum, your children are developing their reasoning and persuasive skills, as well as an openness and curiosity about the world. The Marty the Mighty Nose Workshops, organised by The Fragrance Foundation, will play to these unique and new found strengths whilst also helping to pen communications between students as well as teachers.

Use Marty the Mighty Nose, the smell-finder-in-chief of a faraway jungle tribe, to get your pupils to use their sense of smell as inspiration to develop pupils’ descriptive vocabulary and imaginative writing.

You can sit back and relax while Richard E. Grant guides the children through your very own workshop, click here for the videos.

You will need a couple of print outs and smelly materials to bring your workshop to life. Download the info here.

Each workshop lasts for one hour for a whole class, and is suitable for children aged 7-11. Content this year is specifically tailored to the English Primary National Curriculum.

Marty the Mighty Nose is supported by the Fragrance Foundation, a not-for-profit educational body. Members come from across the fragrance industry and are supporting the scheme as a philanthropic initiative.